Kamen Rider Kabuto Episode #46

Okay, here's the deal. Since tomorrow, being Christmas Eve, will see the probable final update for some time, featuring a Very Special Holiday Review, today's (Saturday) entry will be what would usually come Sunday, the review of this week's episode of Kamen Rider Kabuto. After this one, we've got just 3 more episodes to go (no new episode next week.) I won't be able to review #47 & 48 right after they air, but I plan to go ahead and do them anyway when I get back in mid-January. But I should be able to review the grand finale no problemo.

That said, let's get rolling. This is a fairly *major* episode, so if you don't want to know what happens, stop reading here. In other words, I am the man who stands at the top of all Spoiler Warnings.

Last week, Tsurugi's life was finally starting to look bright until it all came crashing down following a confrontation with Nogi, who has mysteriously returned to life twice, and this time he's split himself into two identical Nogis. Anyways, after getting his butt kicked by the upgraded Cassisworm Clipeus, Tsurugi stumbled towards his intended meeting spot with Misaki for their date, only to let his other side take control- Scorpioworm.

Fortunately, Kagami was also around, and saves Misaki. Tsurugi briefly turns back to human, shocked and confused by his actions. Nogi (well, one of them) shows up, revealing that he is a Worm. Tsurugi (who has been unaware up until now) doesn't believe him, but Nogi fires a beam from his hand which brings out the Scorpioworm once more. Tsurugi's human side manages to regain control once more, and he reverts back to human, howling in anger. Misaki drops the gift (a bracelet) she intended to give him.

Tsurugi realizes the terrible truth: he is the Worm who killed "his" sister. He also killed and replaced the real Tsurugi, but since that time had somehow convinced himself he was the real one all along (from the actual Tsurugi's memories affecting him, as often seems to be the case with the Worms.) Furious, he tears up the scarf he had made for Misaki. Misaki, meanwhile, is ticked off at Kagami, who knew all along that Tsurugi was a Worm, but was unable to bring himself to tell her.

As if things weren't getting depressing enough, Tsurugi next takes his anger out on Jiiya, throwing his Christmas Cake on the floor and storming out.

Man, I'll tell you guys, Tendô getting all weepy about Hiyori chillin' in another dimension with his socially-inept evil twin is a bummer, but seeing Jiiya get sad? I think even Inui Takumi would be moved to tears by that.

At the Bistro, Tendô is all business as usual, taking Tsurugi's true identity in stride. Kagami disagrees with Tendô's "We'll defeat him" mentality, still believing Tsurugi to be a good guy in spite of his Worminess. Misaki merely thinks back to the time when he saved her, like, two episodes or so back.

Tsurugi, despondent, wanders into the sea...

That night, Tendô eats Christmas Cake with Juka and thinks about his *real* sister, Hiyori. Man, I can't wait until Tendô breaks this news to Juka.

With not much else going on at the moment, the Worms decide to start showing up en masse once more, so Kabuto & Gatack rush off to fight them. One of the Nogis drops in on Gatack and transforms into Cassisworm Clipeus. He kicks around Gatack until Tsurugi freakishly appears from the ocean and transforms into Scorpioworm to join in on the Gatack beat-down.

(Were I writing the show, at this point he wouldn't have transformed, but instead have dramatically walked onto the beach and then, at the top of his lungs, shouted "WAGA TOMO, KA-GAAAAAAAAAAAA-MI!")

Since Kagami will not fight his former friend, the Worms send Gatack flying. At a warehouse, Nogi welcomes Tsurugi into the fold as a partner in crime, but Tsurugi holds his sword to the other man's throat. The other Nogi arrives, displeased at this development. Tsurugi has no interest in following anyone else's orders. He insists that Kamishiro Tsurugi is dead, and he has been revived as the strongest Worm. In other words, when he went into the sea, the Tsurugi we know and love died, and his true Worm self is all that's left. The Nogis transform and a fight breaks out, but Tsurugi, as the Scorpioworm, poisons them with some sort of hypnotic chemical and makes them his followers. "I am the man who stands at the top of all Worms" he says.

Tendô meets with Jiiya. The old man begs our hero to "grant his master's wish." Meanwhile, Tsurugi appears before Kagami, who just finished off some Worm grunts. He tells Tsurugi that he believes he can still live as a human, and gives him the present Misaki had dropped earlier. But Tsurugi throws it down and tramples it before punching out Kagami. "I will destroy all Humans!" he states, as the Nogis appear at his side, one holding the Gatack Zecter. Nogi(s) won't be doing any talking for the rest of the episode, as the poison from Scorpioworm has apparently rendered them mute.

Believing the final battle is drawing near, Tsurugi meets with Tendô and demands all the Zecters in exchange for Kagami's life. As this is going on, Tadokoro and Misaki have a conversation about just what Worms and Humans are. Tadokoro states that he truly doesn't know, but to find the answer, they must keep fighting.

Mishima just states a bunch of stuff we already know (WORMS BAD!)

Speaking of which, the Worms are on the move once more, this time towards "Area M4", the designated meeting place where Tendô is supposed to drop off the Zecters in order to save Kagami. Tsurugi has a vision/dream sequence of the Zecters being crushed under a pressing machine. Tendô makes the trade, and true to their word, Tsurugi & the Nogis realeases Kagami.

(I like how the Gatack Zecter, which is sitting right there the whole time, does nothing to help Kagami.) They then stick the Zecters (Kabuto, Gatack, Drake & TheBee) under the press and appear to crush them. Tsurugi states that "From today, the age of the Worms begins." Tons of Worms come crashing through the walls and surround our heroes, but Misaki suddenly appears, and she's brought the cavalry:

Awww yeah. The Zecters, inexplicably fine despite appearing the be crushed moments earlier, fly free, and Kabuto & Gatack transform. Tsurugi also transforms into Sasword, ordering his Worm cronies to attack. A big battle breaks out, with Riders, Zectroopers, Worms and Misaki all fightin' and shootin' each other.

Kabuto & Sasword engage in a one-on-one in Masked Form. Gatack battles the rest of the Worms and one of the Cassisworms. The other one has the misfortune of encountering Yaguruma and Kageyama, who just casually stroll onto the scene. In spite of their insistence on returning to the darkness and forsaking the other Riders' fight, they realize they must once more step into the light, and they break out of their strengthening/restraining vests (I love Kageyama's little "RARGH!" moment here) and transform. Gatack defeats one Cassisworm, and the Double Hoppers use a little teamwork to take out the other one.

Kabuto & Sasword continue fighting, until the main man hits Sasword with a Rider Kick, knocking him out of his transformation. As he tries to stand, Misaki spots the bracelet she bought for him on his wrist. As Tsurugi transforms into Scorpioworm, Misaki realizes something and yells for Tendô to stop. She rushes up towards them in spite of the danger.

As the fight continues, Tsurugi narrates his apology to Misaki, dreaming of how their date would have gone. It's really a pretty sad montage, when you realize what's coming.

Kabuto goes into Hyper Kabuto, and summons the Perfect Zecter, preparing for the final blow. Scorpioworm strikes first, but misses, almost as if on purpose. Kabuto hesitates.

Tsurugi's human self appears from the Scorpioworm, urging Tendô to "fulfill his promise". As Misaki yells for them to stop, Hyper Kabuto does a Maximum Hyper Typhoon, cutting right through Scorpioworm's body. Tsurugi's bracelet rolls down the stairs from the platform they were fighting on.

Yaguruma & Kageyama, both worse for the wear but still living, give each other a high-five before collapsing from their brutal victory.

Misaki tearfully asks Tendô why he went ahead and killed Scorpioworm. He replies that he had made a promise to Tsurugi. In Tsurugi's own words: "I will destroy all Worms". Even, in the end, he was willing to let himself be destroyed to achieve that. When she saw him wearing the bracelet, Misaki believed that there still might be part of the Tsurugi she knew deep down inside. She was right.

At the Kamishiro manor, Tsurugi lies exahausted in a rocking chair. Jiiya quickly enters, asking if he needs anything.

"Is it okay if I go to sleep?" Tsurugi wearily asks.

"Of course. Please don't worry about a thing. Jiiya will always be by your side." his faithful servant replies, clasping his master's hand with his own.

"Thank you, Jiiya."

As his gentle butler and truest friend watches on, Tsurugi's eyes close. His other hand goes limp. And finally, he slips of into an eternal, blissful sleep.

To be continued...